Western Africa
Nigeria
Absolute number
Prevalence
Married by 15: Number of girls and women (left) and percentage of women 20-24 years (right) married before age 15
Married by 18: Number of girls and women (left) and percentage of women 20-24 years (right) married before age 18
Prevalence of child marriage
- Nigeria
- Western Africa
The line chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) in Nigeria and Western Africa from 1996 to 2024.
In Nigeria, 45% of girls in 1996 married before age 18, compared with 30% in 2021, which is the latest available value.
In Western Africa, the prevalence was 43% in 1999 and was 32% in 2024.
Show data table
| Year | Nigeria | Western Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 44.7% | |
| 1999 | 42.8% | |
| 2001 | 42.8% | |
| 2004 | 41.2% | |
| 2006 | 39.0% | |
| 2009 | 38.9% | |
| 2011 | 42.4% | |
| 2014 | 39.6% | |
| 2016 | 43.7% | |
| 2019 | 39.5% | |
| 2021 | 30.3% | |
| 2024 | 31.6% |
Nigeria
Child Marriage
Prevalence
Residence
- Rural
- Urban
Wealth
- Poorest
- Second
- Middle
- Fourth
- Richest
Education
- No schooling
- Primary education
- Secondary or higher
Compare regions of Nigeria
Understand differences inside the country
Touch the timeline to see how the child marriage affect differently each sub-region of Nigeria in the last decades.
Levels of child marriage vary across different parts of Nigeria. See the range of values within the country, and explore the map for details.
Prevalence of child marriage
Compare regions of Nigeria
Understand differences
inside the country
Region with no data
2021
Prevalence of child marriage in each region of Nigeria in 2021
Region with no data
2021
Prevalence of child marriage in each region of Nigeria in 2021
The map shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) across Nigeria. Data refer to 2021, the latest year with available data.
The practice is most common in Bauchi (74%), Jigawa (72%), Katsina (69%), and Zamfara (67%).
Show data table
| Year | Abia | Adamawa | Akwa Ibom | Anambra | Bauchi | Bayelsa | Benue | Borno | Cross River | Delta | Ebonyi | Edo | Ekiti | Enugu | Federal Capital Territory | Gombe | Imo | Jigawa | Kaduna | Kano | Katsina | Kebbi | Kogi | Kwara | Lagos | Nasarawa | Niger | Ogun | Ondo | Osun | Oyo | Plateau | Rivers | Sokoto | Taraba | Yobe | Zamfara |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.9% | 27.7% | 12.7% | 7.0% | 73.8% | 28.2% | 27.3% | 48.8% | 13.2% | 12.9% | 10.8% | 8.4% | 16.2% | 3.9% | 16.8% | 52.9% | 4.2% | 71.8% | 35.4% | 39.0% | 68.9% | 59.5% | 19.2% | 17.8% | 3.0% | 29.2% | 36.2% | 16.3% | 9.9% | 11.9% | 16.9% | 25.9% | 5.1% | 48.4% | 49.4% | 48.8% | 66.8% |
Compare countries
How does Nigeria compare to other countries?
Prevalence of child marriage
- Nigeria
The line chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) in Nigeria from 1996 to 2021.
In Nigeria, 45% of girls in 1996 married before age 18, compared with 30% in 2021, which is the latest available value.
Residence
Child marriage prevalence
Review the data to find if girls living in rural areas are more likely to marry in childhood than girls in urban areas
The bubble chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) disaggregated by residence in Nigeria. Data refer to the latest available year.
In Nigeria, 30% of girls married before age 18. The prevalence is 45% of girls in rural areas, compared with 12% in urban areas.
For more data related to child marriage, please see the child marriage country profiles available on the UNICEF Data website
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Where does child marriage occur?
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